Thoughts from the interface of science, religion, law and culture

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.

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Dumbass Quote of the Day

Of all the inane things said by the demagogues who claim that there’s a “war on Christmas,” this may be the dumbest of all. Bodie Hodge, who works for Answers in Genesis, went on an American Family Association radio show and said that if atheists don’t work on Christmas day that “implies there is some God out there that’s holy that makes a day special.” Right. Or that nothing is open.

“If you thought about it, a secular, atheistic worldview, you know they don’t want Christmas,” Hodge said. “Well, why don’t they go up and say, ‘I want to work on Christmas and I don’t want time-and-a-half and I don’t want any of those holidays because that implies there is some God out there that’s holy that makes a day special. Consider a weekend. A weekend is a Christian thing, God created in the six days, he rested on the seventh, the Lord resurrected on the first day, that’s a Christian thing. These guys should say, ‘No, we should work all the time’ and work like the bees till you die.”

“They should have no days off, the whole concept of work and rest is a Christian thing,” he added. “Within their own worldview they have no basis for it, they have to borrow that from a Christian worldview, so they borrow it and they try to corrupt it.”

This ranks up there with “atheists shouldn’t use money because it says ‘in God we trust’ on it.” Just moronic.

WTF? The whole “concept” of work and rest is one a three year old could explain. A dog would understand it. I guess Muslim toddlers shouldn’t take naps, either, because resting is only for Christians.

Of course, his “logic” would apply equally well the opposite way–since that whole work-and-rest thing is for Christians only, I guess all us atheists should just stop working entirely. I’m sure we can rely on Christian charity and love to provide for us…

Getting Christmas day off is a relatively recent development. Traditionally most people worked this day and most didn’t even acknowledge it. Hell – a lot of fundamentalist groups (like the one Bodie Hodge is part of) thought it a Catholic plot.

I would be happy to work on Christmas day. However, that would be rude of me because it would require my employer to keep the building open just for me, and to have all the people here that I depend on to do my job. And I just don’t think it’s appropriate for me to force my beliefs on others…

Wow. So my willingness to blow off work in favor of relaxing all day and enjoying a feast on Christmas day is proof that I believe in god? Who knew… So is my willingness to do that on every other day of the year, if only I were given the opportunity, proof of other deities being born on those days?

When I was working in a job that needed 24/7 coverage, I volunteered to take a Christmas Day shift so that at least one person who might have plans for day wouldn’t have to. On the other hand, I didn’t turn down the extra pay for doing so.

Of course, every programmer knows that the Biblical account of creation is wrong. It’s obvious that God goofed off for six days and then pulled an all-nighter to get the job done. You can tell by the Ungodly mess the world is in. What’s more, the documentation was clearly done in a rush after fact just to get that task off the list.

“Of course, every programmer knows that the Biblical account of creation is wrong. It’s obvious that God goofed off for six days and then pulled an all-nighter to get the job done. You can tell by the Ungodly mess the world is in.”

So, the Deluge, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Black Plague, The Great Influenza of 1918? Those were what, GODLY Service Packs/Updates?

Actually, I often do work on Christmas day, just not at the office, which is closed and locked (I do have a key, so I suppose that’s no excuse). But I am off for two weeks, and Christmas is only one of those days; so by being off two weeks, it sort of renders Christmas day a non-question. I’ve already been off for a week by then. And if I didn’t work Christmas day, I would never get all my spring classes prepped, because Jesus sure as hell isn’t doing it for me.

“Well, why don’t they go up and say, ‘I want to work on Christmas and I don’t want time-and-a-half and I don’t want any of those holidays because that implies there is some God out there that’s holy that makes a day special.

Don’t want time-and-a-half?

Sorry, Bodie…..see, being an atheist, I know that God won’t provide– I have to. In order to provide, I must have money. Time-and-a-half = more money. I would absolutely work on Christmas in order to get that money, but I’m not allowed to. Nor am I allowed to work on Christmas Eve, and I won’t get paid for that.

Does that mean you’re going to pay me? Or would that imply there is some God out there that’s holy that makes Jesus’s yammering about giving to others special?

Well, to be fair the Christians get something like one-quarter credit for weekends. That’s the half-day on Sundays that permitted people to go to Church. Considering that the penalty for not attending church was death, it may qualify as enlightened labor management — at least by Christian standards.

I don’t know about where he lives, but I suspect that sooner or later some big chain, like Future Shop or The Brick, will decide to open on Christmas in Canada. Here in Saskatoon they could likely do it, as city council got rid of store hours regulations a few years back.

Newton was born Dec 25 old style. Under the gregorian calendar he was born Jan 4.

And so was Yeshua. The date Dec. 25 was maintained so that Yeshua’s bris still occurred on Jan. 1. If he existed at all, he very likely was not born on Jan. 4 or Dec. 25 and commensurately did not receive his bris on Jan. 11 or Jan. 1.

I worked in a software support role for a product with customers in India. Didn’t seem to bother any of them that I was technically off on Christmas (or any other day). They called to get issues logged and fixed. I wonder why they weren’t off celebrating? Uh, no I don’t.

It should be noted that Phoenix PD could not make a judgment from available surveillance footage to arrest the alleged assailant. They seem to have had a similar problem with suspect ID in this situation:

It is a miracle really when you consider the hurdles and steepness of the climb, that such mental entrepreneurs can actually breath and walk at the same time, then regurgitate such a compelling argument for a deity that meets their personal approval !

Never ceases to amaze, school teachers must have had a hoot!…feel very sorry for any offspring though, that is sad!

Bodie Hodge, presupposing atheist motives: I want to work on Christmas and I don’t want time-and-a-half and I don’t want any of those holidays because that implies there is some God out there that’s holy that makes a day special.

And since Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, that god must be Odin (or Wodin).

Bodie Hodge… said that if atheists don’t work on Christmas day that “implies there is some God out there that’s holy that makes a day special.”

Or, it could imply that Christmas is the day that my family traditionally gets together to get drunk and eat far too much, and that I enjoy doing those things. Well, it’s one of the days we do that, anyway.